Q: What happens, in what sequence, when the soul leaves the human
body?

A: There's no one exact way for all. How and when a person will
leave his body and where he will go depends mainly on his guna and
karma (joined with interventions by others through blessings, prayers,
rites, etc.)

Into the non-material heaven, Vaikuntha, goes a minimum people -
those who are perfectly cleansed of all karma (positive and negative).
From there they don't return into the material world anymore. This is
the perfection of life.
Heaven, as it's usually understood, in the Vedic universe scheme refers to
svargaloka, subtle material dimension in this universe. It's
accessible to people with very good karma and they remain there for
relatively long time (even millions of earth years), but not
permanently since even the material universe isn't permanent. These
cases aren't usual nowadays in the West.
Most of those who leave 'upward' gets into a bit lower sphere,
pitriloka, the dimension of ancestors, where they stay for some time
(approximately from months to tens of years) before they again
reincarnate on Earth.
But many people nowadays goe to lower than human level (animal, etc.)
due to their negative karma. If their karma is really bad they go
first to hellish dimensions or become ghosts. Also these existences are temporary yet
the intensity of suffering gives them a semblance of almost
eternity.

Several days/hours before death the person enters the terminal
phase. Often it has a form of terminal restlessness (a medicinal term,
see below). He sees his dead ancestors and specific ativahika
(escorting) devatas and may communicate with them.

His body gradually turns cold starting from extremities. This is
due to the detachment of the prana and subtle senses, parts of the
subtle body, from the gross body (Chandogya Upanisad 8.12.2-3, Vedanta
sutra 2.4.7-8, SB 4.28.23).

The exit itself happens through various bodily orifices, as per
one's karma and destination. (BG 14.18)

If the person is impious and quite sinful, the messengers of Yamaraja,
called the Yamadutas, fierce, horrible looking persons with twisted
features, copper red flaming hairs that stand on end, black in
complexion and frightening to behold, appear at the deathbed of the
person in question and drag him forcibly from his body with ropes and
chains. This scene so frightens the person that he literally dies of
fright. They then pack up the subtle body of the person in a bag,
where they take the soul, now covered only by the subtle body of mind,
intelligence and false ego, to the abode of Yamaraja for judgement. He
is taken over long stretches of hot, dry sands, and along the way he
is insulted in various ways by other horrible creatures and bitten by
dogs. He is suffering terribly on this journey and he wishes it would
end.

(The movie "Ghost" presented a world that included ghosts, psychic
powers, Yamaduta-like spirits, and an effulgent heavenly realm. Also
see the real-life stories below.)

However, when it does end he is taken before Yamaraja, the fierce
demigod in charge of death and punishing the sinful. He is forced to
accept a position of suffering according to his sins in hell(s) which
exist at the bottom of the universe, just above the Garbhodaka Ocean.
In this hellish region called the Naraka, there are approximately 27
hellish places. He gets an airy, unbreakable body based on his
specific karma (Garuda Purana 2.18.40) to suffer in.

As an example of this a person who has engaged in the slaughter and
eating of other innocent animals will enter into Krimibhojana, wherein
he will exist as a worm who is eating the tail of another worm as that
worm is eating his tail. There are many such hells just according to
the crimes committed. One may find the complete description in the
last chapter of the 5th canto of the SB.

After such intense and horrible forms of suffering the living being
is thrown again into the lower species of life just suited according
to his sinful desires in his human life.

However, persons who are not quite that sinful may expect a more
peaceful departure from the body. At the time of death, death is
denoted as the moment when the spirit soul departs from the material
gross body. At that time the soul, covered by the subtle body of mind,
intelligence and false ego, leaves the body. The subtle body always
travels with the soul wherever he goes within this material world and
therefore the living entity has a continuity of material experience
throughout his different lifetimes.

Death may come from a variety of causes, but when it actually
happens the first thing that a person experiences is total blackness.
All is dark, but this lasts only for a moment. The Supersoul, situated
right next to the soul, illuminates a hole which appears to the soul
to be a light at the end of a tunnel. In fact the darkness which
appears is the body but now that it is dead it is devoid of
consciousness and now we are seeing it from the inside for the first
time.

There are some 101 different passageways (Prasna Upanisad 3.6)
through which one might depart from the body. One may only go through
one of these at the time of death. These passageways are called nadis,
or channels of consciousness. According to Garuda Purana 1.67 death
occurs when both main (spine) nadis, Ida and Pingala, are at work.
Under normal conditions they switch. One might understand them to be
the major nerve channels of channels of energy flow within the body,
but the exact medical synonym is not available to us at this time. In
any case one will depart from one of these nadis to his next
destination. We do know that one who departs from the anus or genital
goes to the lower regions, wherein one who departs from the upper
portion of the body goes to the higher regions. Those who depart from
the top of their skulls, from the hole known as the brahma randhra,
the place where the three bones in the skull meet, will attain the
regions of Brahman.

Description of yogic death by merging the elements of one's body
into mahat-tattva is given in SB 1.15.41-42, 2.2.30, 4.23.15-18,
7.12.30-31, Vs 4.2.15-16, etc. This process goes on in yogi's
consciousness. Sridhara Swami speaks about giving up attraction to
different sense objects (BG 2.67) and merging the sense into their
objects (tan-matras).

The Supersoul illuminates only one of these passageways according
to the karma of the soul. He selects the passageway just according to
the previous activities of the living entity and as soon as it is
illuminated the soul naturally wants to move towards the light. As
soon as he is out of the body, he feels relieved of the burden of the
material frame and starts to move, naturally drawn towards his next
form. He's lead by various guides called ativahika devatas.
Description is in Vedanta-sutra 4.2.7-4.3.16. At that time he will
experience the world from the point of view of the subtle body and
will see things much clearer than they are seen through the present
body. Just try to imagine how much more beautiful the world must be
when seen through spiritual eyes!

Vedanta-sutra describes that not-too-sinful persons go to higher
planets. According to NDE they may meet their departed relatives
there. After time alotted by their karma they must return to earth
though.

"In the process of sacrifice, the living entity makes specific
sacrifices to attain specific heavenly planets and consequently
reaches them. When the merit of sacrifice is exhausted, the living
entity descends to earth in the form of rain, then takes on the form
of grains, and the grains are eaten by man and transformed into semen,
which impregnates a woman, and thus the living entity once again
attains the human form to perform sacrifice and so repeat the same
cycle. In this way, the living entity perpetually comes and goes on
the material path. The Krsna conscious person, however, avoids such
sacrifices. He takes directly to Krsna consciousness and thereby
prepares himself to return to Godhead." (BG 8.3 p., quote from
Chandogya Upanisad)

"The Personality of Godhead said: Under the supervision of the
Supreme Lord and according to the result of his work, the living
entity, the soul, is made to enter into the womb of a woman through
the particle of male semen to assume a particular type of body."
(Srimad Bhagavatam 3.31.1)

When the embryo is about seven months of age it is sufficiently
developed to support consciousness and the baby awakens in his new
body and immediately moves, sometimes kicking the mother from within
in a vain attempt to get out of the horrible entanglement that he has
found himself in.

If he is pious, this horrible condition of having the arms and legs
jammed into the chest as one is bent over in the foetal position,
causes the soul to pray to the Lord as follows, "O Lord, this
condition is terrible. Please save me from this situation and get me
out of this womb immediately and I promise to serve You in this
lifetime for sure." However, as soon as he takes his birth he becomes
too much attached to all the attention and service being rendered him
by mother and family members and he forgets all about serving the Lord
and falls totally into maya again.

An example for death in the mode of passion would be king Puranjana
who had to take birth as a woman in his next life. Ajamila was
practically enroute to hell and his condition was a good example of
ignorance. In the Gita-mahatmya of the Padma Purana there are many
examples, like the story of one brahmana who had to go to hell after
death and then had to accept an animal birth.

The example of a person who went to heaven is Maharaja Pururava.
After he had somewhat cooled down from his excessive attachment to
Urvasi, he became absorbed in performing sacrifices which the
Gandharvas had taught him. At the end of his life he went to heaven.
There are also all sorts of jnanis and yogis and brahmacaris who go to
the planet of Brahma.

yatra - where; ha vava - indeed; bhagavan - the most powerful;
pitr-rajah - Yamaraja, the king of the pitas; vaivasvatah - the son of
the sun-god; sva-visayam - his own kingdom; prapitesu - when caused to
reach; sva-purusaih - by his own messengers; jantusu - the human
beings; samparetesu - dead; yatha-karma-avadyam - according to how
much they have violated the rules and regulations of conditional life;
dosam - the fault; eva - certainly; anullanghita-bhagavat-sasanah -
who never oversteps the Supreme Personality of Godhead's order;
saganah - along with his followers; damam - punishment; dharayati -
executes.

"The King of the pitas is Yamaraja, the very powerful son of the
sun-god. He resides in Pitrloka with his personal assistants and,
while abiding by the rules and regulations set down by the Supreme
Lord, has his agents, the Yamadutas, bring all the sinful men to him
immediately upon their death. After bringing them within his
jurisdiction, he properly judges them according to their specific
sinful activities and sends them to one of the many hellish planets
for suitable punishments."

Q: Could you please explain the status of Pitrloka and where is it
actually situated? In most SB verses it is differentiated from
heavenly planets but in SB 5.2.2 p. it is equated with a heavenly
planet. Pitrloka should be Yamaraja's abode (SB 1.15.49, 5.26.6) where
Yamadutas bring the sinners. There are three possibilites of its
location:

Pradyumna: But does moon planet have something to do with Pitrs?
Does the Pitr..., Pitrloka is different? Prabhupada: Pitr? Pradyumna:
Pita, Pitr? Prabhupada: No, Pitrloka is different. That is
downwards.

In SB 6.2.31 Ajamila said he was saved from being carried to
hellish regions (adhah bhuvah).

A: (Ekanath Das) From briefly looking into various reference books
I gathered that there are at least three different classes of divine
or semi-divine beings that go under the name 'pitr', and their lokas
differ accordingly. Even MMW writes:

"...they inhabit a peculiar region, which, according to some, is
the Bhuvas or region of the air, according to others, the orbit of the
moon, and are considered as the regents of the Nakshatras Magha and
Mula."

devatvaM ca pitRtvaM ca yamasyAsti dvi-rUpatA
YamarAja has two forms: one as a demigod and the other as a pitA. (HBV
16.217)

Quote from Hindu Dictionary by Manurishi Foundation

Yama - Restrainer. Pluto, etc. In the Vedas Yama is god of the
dead, with whom the spirits of the departed dwell. He was the son of
Vivasvat (the Sun) and had a twin-sister named Yami or Yamuna. These
are by some looked upon as the first human pair, the originators of
the race; and there is a remarkable hymn, in the form of a dialogue,
in which the female urges their cohabitation for the purpose of
perpetuating the species. Another hymn says that Yama "was the first
of men that died, and the first that departed to the (celestial)
world." It was Yama who found the way to the home which cannot be
taken away. "Those who are now born follow) by their own paths to the
place where our ancient fathers have departed." "But," says Muir,
"Yama is nowhere represented in the Rigveda as having anything to do
with the punishment of the wicked." So far as is yet known, "the hymn
of that Veda contain no prominent mention of any such penal
retribution... Yama is still to some extent an object of terror. He is
represented as having two insatiable dogs [Rigveda 10.14.10-12] with
four eyes and wide nostrils, which guard the road to his abode, and
which the departed are advised to hurry past with all possible speed.
These dogs are said to wander about among men as his messengers, no
doubt for the purpose of summoning them to their master, who is in
another place identified with death, and is described as sending a
bird as the herald of doom."

In the epic poems Yama is the son of the Sun by Sanjna
(conscience) and brother of Vaivasvata (Manu). He was the father of
Yudhishthira. He is the god of departed spirits and judge of the dead.
A soul when it quits its mortal form goes to his abode in the lower
regions; there the recorder, Citragupta, reads out his account from
the great register called Agrasandhani, and a just sentence follows,
when the soul either ascends to the abodes of the Pitris (Manes), or
is sent to one of the twenty-one hells according to its guilt, or it
is born again on earth in another form. Yama is regent of the south
quarter, and as such is called Dakshinashapati. He is represented as
having a green color and clothed with red. He rides upon a buffalo,
and is armed with a ponderous mace and a noose to secure his victims.
In the Puranas a legend is told of Yama having lifted his foot to kick
Chaya, the handmaid of his father. She cursed him to have his leg
affected with sores and worms, but his father gave him a cock which
picked off the worms and cured the discharge. Through this incident he
is called Shirnapada, "Shrivelled foot." Yama had several wives, as
Hemamala, Sushila, and Vijaya. He dwells in the lower world, in his
city Yamapura. There, in his palace called Kalichi, he sits upon his
throne of judgment, Vicharabhu. He is assisted by his recorder and
councillor, Citragupta, and waited upon by his two chief attendants
and custodians, Canda or Mahacanda, and Kalapurusha. His messengers,
Yamadutas, bring in the souls of the dead, and the door of his
judgment-hall is kept by his porter, Vaidhyata. Yama has many names
descriptive of his office. He is Mrityu, Kala, and Antaka, "death";
Kritanta, "the finisher"; Shamana "the settler"; Dandi or Dandadhara,
"the rod-bearer"; Bhimashasana, "of terrible decrees"; Pashi, "the
noose-carrier"; Pitripati, "lord of the manes"; Pretaraja, "king of
the ghosts"; Shraddhadeva, "god of the exequial offerings"; and
especially Dharmaraja, "king of justice." He is Audumbara, from
Udumbara, "the fig-tree," and from his parentage he is Vaivasvata.
There is a Dharmashastra which bears the name of Yama.

How to become a Yamaduta

"Those who have passed several years in the dreadful hell and have
no descendants (to offer gifts) in their favor become messengers of
Yama." (Garuda Purana 2.18.34)

Avoiding Yamaraja: Ajamila's story

Ajamila's story is given in the Bhagavata Purana (6th book, chapter
1) as an example to illustrate that even the most wicked person can
attain Visnupada (salvation).

Ajamila was a brahmana who was once sent by his father to the
jungle to fetch samit (leaves and twigs to make the sacrificial fire).
Ajamila met there a beautiful sudra woman. Forgetting everything, the
brahmana made her his wife and children were born to them. When that
brahmana, who was the very embodiment of all vices, reached the age of
eighty-seven, the time came for him to die. Yamadutas (agents of Yama,
the god of death) had arrived. The frightened Ajamila shouted loudly
the name of his eldest son, "Narayana". Hearing the repeated call of
his name "Narayana", servants of Visnu appeared there and dismissed
the agents of Yama. From that day Ajamila became a devotee of Visnu
and did penance on the bank of the Ganges and after some years
attained salvation.

Ajamila was saved from hell because he chanted "Narayana" as the
Yamadutas approached him. Afterwards Yamaraja forbade his servants
from touching devotees who "even if by mistake or because of
bewilderment or illusion... sometimes commit sinful acts," because
"they are protected from sinful reactions because they always chant
the Hare Krsna mantra."

Yamaraja then told the Yamadutas:

"Paramahamsas are exalted persons who have no taste for material
enjoyment and who drink the honey of the Lord's lotus feet. My dear
servants, bring to me for punishment only persons who are averse to
the taste of that honey, who do not associate with paramahamsas and
who are attached to family life and worldly enjoyment, which form the
path to hell.

"My dear servants, please bring to me only those sinful persons who
do not use their tongues to chant the holy name and qualities of
Krsna, whose hearts do not remember the lotus feet of Krsna even once,
and whose heads do not bow down even once before Lord Krsna. Send me
those who do not perform their duties toward Visnu, which are the only
duties in human life. Please bring me all such fools and rascals."

The Greatness of Tulasi (from Padma
Purana)

Everything of the Tulasi plant, leaves, flowers, fruits, roots,
twigs, skin and even the soil around is holy. The soul of a dead one
whose dead body is cremated using Tulasi twigs for firewood would
attain a permanent place in Visnuloka. Even great sinners would be
absolved of their sins if their dead bodies are cremated with Tulasi
twigs. If at the time of death one thinks of God and mutters His name
and if his dead body is later cremated with Tulasi twigs, he would
have no rebirths. Even he who has done a crore of sins would attain
moksa if at the time of cremating his dead body a piece of Tulasi twig
is placed at the bottom of the funeral pyre. Just as all waters become
pure by the union with. Ganga water, all firewood is made pure by the
addition of a small piece of Tulasi twig. If the dead body of one is
cremated using Tulasi twigs alone, one's sins for a crore of kalpa
years would be washed away. Yamadutas would keep away from one whose
dead body is cremated with Tulasi twigs and servants of Visnu would
come near. If a light is burnt for Visnu with a Tulasi stick it would
be equal to burning several lakhs of lights for Visnu. If one makes
the Tulasi leaves into a paste and smears it on one's body and then
worships Visnu for one day, one would be getting the benefit of a
hundred ordinary worships and also the benefit of doing a hundred
go-danas (gifts of cows). (Chapter 24, Padma Purana).

They came in through the open window!

By Tribhuvannatha Das

A devotee named Jeremy was with us on our Festival 98' tour of East
& Central Africa. Jeremy is more of a congregational member of ISKCON
and is just starting to understand the commitment that there is in
Krsna Consciousness. He caught malaria and had to come back early.

Upon his return I spoke to him on the phone. I mentioned how he
should be careful not to fall down from the process of KC. Two weeks
later he was back to his 'old ways' but still a devotee - not as
strict as before though.

He'd been out with his girlfriend, and while admiring some
waterfalls in the mountains of Wicklow, Ireland, he slipped and fell
60 ft down the side of the mountain - lucky for him he chanted at the
top of his voice Krsna! Krsna! as he went tumbling down the side of
the mountain, the bushes slowed his pace, but then over the edge...
another 160 ft sheer drop to death! He screamed "Krsna" and suddenly
he stopped... 'smack' he had landed on the only rock jutting out from
the side of the mountain. He was damaged - broken pelvis, leg, etc.
but still alive.

The rock had an unusual inward curve, just the right size to
cushion his body. If it had been a normal rock he would have simply
bounced off it, to his death!

The rescue team said that they could not believe his fortune. Ten
others before him had fallen from the same spot, nine died, one
crippled. Then in hospital (where he is making a full recovery) in
comes Michael who has just fallen off a crane. His head hit a steel
girder on the way down (his luck was he had a hard hat on), the whole
top of his head, peeled like an orange. Miraculously his heavy coat
had got caught on the way down and saved his life.

He came over to see Jerry - by this time in his life he has gone
from been one of the most debauched personality to almost a saint,
even setting up his own alter at the hospital!

He had heard that Jerry was a 'Hare Krsna' and was intrigued to
meet him. After some conversation Jerry complained about the
'nightmares' he was getting.

"Nightmares!" says Michael. "I was attacked by five
horrible-looking monsters that came in through the window. They said
they had come to get me." (While in intensive care Michael was 'dead'
three times, in the same night). He described them in detail. He was
so frightened at their appearance that he threw a chair at the window,
four nurses had to restrain him! They had come to get him, he even
mentioned that one appeared to have a rope.

"They came back again, and said they were coming to get me very
soon. "Was it just a nightmare?" asked Jerry. "No!" said Michael,
"these guys were as real as you or me... These guys were very
real!"

Encounter with Yamadutas

By Vaidyanatha Das

One day a very freakish artist came to old "steel wagon" Sochi
temple with Sri Isopanisad in his hand and told devotees his
story:

"I was looking for you, people, for three days and I am
unbelievably glad I have finally found you. One day I bought this book
(he couldn't even name its name and author, Srila Prabhupada, but only
stammered something) and tried to read it. But it was very difficult
to understand, so many strange words. Therefore I put it on the shelf
and cared no more about it. I was drinking lot of alcohol. One day
while lying drunk in my bed I heard strange voices nearby. It was
something absolutely new. I was looking for the source and saw two
persons indistinctly. They were speaking about me - about my life and
how sinful it was. They were recounting all my sins in great detail
which I even didn't remember and also a few good things. Finally they
came to conclusion: "He must go to hell!" I was screaming in protest:
"I don't want to hell and don't know what is going on at all." But
anyway, at once one of them put a stringent rope on my neck. I tried
to get rid of it and run away but to no avail - the rope was very
tight. I was almost finished but suddenly a cover picture of this book
(Sri Isopanisad with Lord Kesava and Sesa Naga) appeared before my
eyes. It was actually not picture but reality. The snake was moving
and out of sudden a flame emanated from his many mouths. Totally
bewildered about it I asked those persons - what does it all mean?
They answered: "This is just the hell where you are going to go." But
all of sudden everything disappeared and I awoke in my bed, completely
shocked. Immediately I stopped drinking and smoking and tried to find
you, devotees, to find explanation about all of this. I beg on my
knees, let me stay here somewhere!"

(This story refutes the scientists' theory that one's NDE is
influenced by his/her cultural background - Easterners are supposed to
have different experiences than Westerners. There are more stories of
Westerners who "met" the servants of lord of death, Yamaraja.)

Encounter in a Dream

"Before I joined the temple I have been reading Prabhupada's books
like anything - sometimes for hours a day - and I developed a deep
appreciation for them. At that time I still lived in my rented flat
whose owner was one woman living together with her daughter. This girl
was a heavy drug addict and often when she had nightmares her screams
would wake me up. One night I was awaken by her particularly horrible
screaming. I looked at my watch - it was 0:30 AM. Knowing that this
time is notorious for its inauspiciousness I was a bit afraid and
confused. But then I fell asleep again and in my dream I saw coming to
me a strange figure looking like a devil - dark, with big ears and
carrying a stick or something similar in its hand. It was looking at
me and laughing, "Oh, you read these books! Ho, ho, ho!" and pointed
at my Bhagavatam lying beside my bed on a table. At once I realized
that I cannot do anything but if Krsna is in the hearts of all the
living beings He can protect me. Thus I got a feeling of security. At
that moment the dream stopped and I slept peacefully for the rest of
the night. This incident even deepened my faith in Srila Prabhupada's books."

Sacred Waters

A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine, Jose, came over to my house
and he seemed very sad. When I asked him what is wrong he said that
one of his friends was dying of cancer, and he was on his way to see
him in the Hospital. He told me that his friend had a very bad life
and was involved in lots of drugs and therefore he was very
depressed.

According to the scriptures one who lives a life in the mode of
ignorance will go down to the hellish planets [BG 16.16, SB 5.26, etc.],
so I was thinking what could I do to help this person.

I remembered that a very nice devotee, Uttara, had given me a small
bottle of water from Radha Kund, Syama Kund, Yamuna and Ganga. So I
thought it would be very helpful for his Karma to drink this water. I
told Jose the powers of this water and gave him the bottle so that he
could take it to his friend and try to give him some before he leaves
his body. Jose was not very sure if it would help because he said his
friend did not believe in any of that. But I told Jose "Just try to
put it in his drink and don't tell anyone, it wont hurt." So Jose took
the bottle and left.

When Jose arrived to the hospital, his friend was shouting and
crying in pain, he was angry because he did not want to die, he was
very nervous and he refused all the medicine and drinks that they were
offering him. So Jose made him a peppermint tea and he put some of the
sacred water in the tea. Amazingly enough his friend accepted the tea
and drank it very quickly almost burning his mouth. Everyone was
amazed because he had refused all the previous hot drinks that they
had offered him for the past few days. Then suddenly his friend
stopped crying and shouting and he got very relaxed. He even had a
smile on his face. Everyone was shocked at the sudden change. They
tried to talk to him but he did not speak a word. He refused to talk,
eat or drink anymore, he just smiled and laid down peacefully. One
hour later he left his body.

Some years ago due to my tiny service I received a letter from you
containing this sentence: "Let me know if you need any help."

So now I ask you for that. I don't want to burden you with much
information but I'll write something about myself.

My name is bhaktin Subhadra and I'm a daughter of your disciple
Mandali Bhadra dasa. My parents got divorced when I was 5 and I
remained in the care of my mother. I didn't see my father for ten
years and when I approached him at 15 he was already a devotee.
Circumstantially I joined him and did something little for Krishna. I
started to chant, was helping at Govinda's and at caterings. But
desires to enjoy were strong and I felt like trying something out.
After about 3 years my relationship with devotees began to deteriorate
and I gradually withdrew myself, wanting to lead "my own life without
rules and regulations." I wished to forget about Krishna and the
philosophy but I couldn't succeed. Memories kept returning. But I was
foolish. I started to take drugs which brought about more problems.
Somehow I was wasting my time, thinking, "Tomorrow it will be better."
But it was rather the opposite. I suffered from depressions and was
often torturing, cutting and beating myself... I felt terrible, as if
bound up, but I could not do anything about that. I was often reading
your letter and crying. How could I allow myself to end up in such a
situation? There seemed to be no solution.

Finally I remained by myself, just alone with my mind. I very much
desired to change it, but how?

This year, on May 10, 2009 - I don't even remember that day - I
climbed over the balcony of my Prague flat and, strongly influenced by
ignorance and despair, I jumped down from the 6th floor (7th in U.S.
counting).

For a week I remained in an artificial sleep. During that time I
experienced in my subtle body a difficult-to-describe story full of
suffering, pain, torture and unavoidable violence from creatures
appointed to that task. It was an endless trip to hell...

After seven days devotees organized a sacrifice in Germany and
prayed to Lord Nrsimhadeva on my behalf. After the kirtan ended, I
"woke up" and started to communicate. By the Lord's mercy I
survived.

I had undergone demanding surgeries, having had open fractures of
my limbs, smashed ankles, crushed pelvis and one hand, 13 ribs and a
bone next to my head broken. I lost one kidney and the spleen. My
liver burst and I had many other injuries. In terrible pains I spent
several more weeks. Further surgeries of legs followed. I was lying in
bed, immobile.

Finally I had time to think why it had happened and what to do now.
It was not sure whether I would be able to walk and get fully cured.
Fortunately, my father provided me a great support. He was always
positive and ready to help me both physically and spiritually.

We also contacted Cittesvara prabhu from India who treated me
through successful sacrifices. My health and inner state got improved.
After three months I was released from the hospital. Now I'm living at
Govinda's with my father, serving and integrating myself into devotee
association.

By this brief letter I wanted to outline to you the situation I am
in and thus come to the essence, why I write you. I'd like to ask you,
as an expert in the spiritual science, how can I serve Krishna and
devotees now, so that my life becomes successful.

Thank you very much.
Hare Krishna,
Your servant, bhaktin Subhadra

(Jan: When asked for more detailed description of her OBE, Subhadra
said she is traumatized by its remembrance. She only mentioned that
she underwent many types of torture described in SB 5.26 and thus got
a great faith in SB. She is a completely different person now.)

Terminal Restlessness - Yamaduta time

Dear Prabhus,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila
Prabhupada! Please read this. Its a great example of what Srila
Prabhupada was trying to save us from. Amazing stuff.
Hari Sauri Das

The Yamadutas at the Time of Death (Terminal Restlessness)
By Subhangi Devi Dasi

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupad!
All glories to all of the Vaishnavas, especially the preachers who are
saving the world from hell! All glories to your service!

Have you ever heard of terminal restlessness? Probably not, unless
you are a doctor or a nurse. But although the name is new, the
condition is described in Srimad Bhagavatam. Srila Prabhupada
says:

"And similarly, miserable condition of death. When one is lying in
coma, so many sufferings is going on, so many dreaming, the Yamaduta
is coming. Sometimes the man on the deathbed cries, he's so much
suffering but there is no remedy. Everyone is helpless. So that is the
miserable condition of death..." Srila Prabhupad, Gorakhpur Feb 18,
1971

I will tell you how I found out about it, and this story is a
classic example of the dreadful reality faced by all the suffering
souls of this material world. It also shows clearly what Srila
Prabhupad has saved us from and why we should feel eternally indebted
to him.

It all started when I received a phone call from my parents saying
that Dad was sick with cancer. I believe in omens, and my right eye
started twitching profusely, so I knew that the outcome wouldn't be
good. That was in the beginning of November.

But Dad was optimistic. He was sure he could overcome everything,
as he had always been the controller in every situation and had faced
many trials in life and overcome them all. Until now he seemed to be a
lucky guy, enjoying good facilities and good karma in every respect.
Little did he know that his good karma had come to a grinding halt. If
Krsna wants to save you no one can kill you, but if Krsna wants to
kill you no one can save you.

Dad had prostate cancer, and it had spread into his bones. He was
having chemotherapy, but it failed twice. I rang one day, and he
literally wept. "I'm dying," he said.

I felt compassion for him. He was helpless in the hands of cruel
fate. I tried to help. "Well don't worry," I said. "There is
reincarnation. You will be okay. Just pray. God is kind."

But it was little comfort to someone who was bewildered and didn't
know God.

After that I felt that I was somehow connected to his suffering. I
could feel all of his fear and anxiety. I would pray all the time. I
didn't want to experience any of it, but I guess I was karmically
connected to him, so there was no escape no matter how far away I was.
The physical suffering was nothing compared to the mental torture he
was experiencing. He became humble, and I dropped everything a couple
of times and flew from Vrindavan to be with him.

In the past he had never wanted to hear anything about Krishna, so
I had given up trying years ago. We never discussed the subject. I
would just feed him prasad (he loved my cooking) and talk about other
things. I had Vrindavan dust with me and some Yamuna water mixed with
Ganga. There were also some small Jagannatha Deities. I deposited all
these things in the house, hoping they would have an effect and using
them whenever possible, in Dad's food and so on.

I kept praying and hoping that somehow I could convince him about
Krishna before he died. He was so bewildered and humbled by his lack
of control over the situation that he was willing to listen to some
degree. He was clutching at straws.

I read him some Bhagavad Gita, and he said that it was comforting.
I also read to him from Coming Back. He liked that because the idea of
reincarnation was something positive to look for in the future, and he
was desperate for that. I saw in there the chapter about Ajamila and
felt I should read it to him, but thought maybe it was too much to
thrust upon him. Besides, I was there, and because I was chanting
everything it would be okay, or so I thought.

I really believed you could just chant Hare Krishna and all bad
things would go away. I guess this is a superficial and neophyte
viewpoint. The material world is such a heavy place, and with my great
ego I, was overestimating my own purity. I realized later that I'm
really not even a devotee. If you are incapable of saving yourself,
how can you possibly save anyone else?

I had to fly back to Vrindavan several times, as I had family and
business commitments, but the whole time I could feel him pulling me.
I had zero mental peace during this time. I think he really wanted me
there and was emotionally dependant on me, as I was the only one
offering any tangible solutions.

People are basically not sympathetic either, and he needed a lot of
understanding. I am not good at handling suffering, so this was
difficult to bear seeing someone you care for suffering so much
anxiety. I left my Jagannatha Deities there and asked them to forgive
any offense but to please protect my father while I went back to India
on business just for a couple of weeks.

Then my mother rang. She was at her wits' end. "Please come," she
said. "He is in hospital now, and we need you here." I jumped on the
first flight, and as soon as I arrived, I moved into the hospital with
Dad. It was incredible how Krishna seemed to arrange it. They gave us
a private room and let me sleep there and care for him. Nobody
questioned my authority, and my mother just backed off and let me do
anything. She is a Roman Catholic and doesn't usually allow me to
speak about Krishna.

I realized that the karmis are so far into denial that they try to
avoid the reality of death as much as possible, so it was a way out
for her if I took the burden. She could go home and pretend nothing
was happening, yet still know that Dad was being taken care of by me.
Or maybe deep down she also felt desperate for his spiritual welfare,
and I was the best solution they had. I'm not really sure. Once it all
goes beyond their material perception and control, they become
completely bewildered. I only know that I was able to fully take over
the care of my father. Many people must suffer and die alone in
hospitals going through what I am about to tell...

I slept next to Dad and tended to his every need. I managed to get
Tulasi beads on him, which one demoniac nurse kept taking off. I got
mental about it. Oh no, I thought, he is so sinful, he can't wear
Tulasi. Then I just got in this mindset that I was going to be
aggressive and keep those beads on him no matter what. She would take
them off, and I would just smile sweetly and put them right back
on.

I read some Bhagavad Gita to him. He didn't eat at all for the
twelve days leading up to his death. For eight of those days he had
only Ganga and Yamuna water and nothing else. I controlled everything
that went into his mouth. I even started sprinkling Vrindavan dust in
his water as well.

Toward the end, he was on another level, not of this world. He
seemed to be perceiving things that other people couldn't. For
example, every night I would put on a Shiva T-Shirt to wear to bed.
There was a large picture of Lord Shiva on the front of it. My habit
was to wait till he was asleep and in a subtle manner, sprinkle a
little bit of Vrindavan dust on his head in case he died while I was
asleep.

One night I had just sprinkled the dust, and he sprang up with a
wide-eyed look of amazement. "Oh, you're all surrounded by dust," he
said.

Another night, in the same way, he sprang awake and looked at my
Lord Shiva shirt. "Careful!" he said. "There's fire coming out of your
shirt." The day before he died, he said there were big dogs in the
room and an ugly person floating outside the window.

The evening before his death he began to feel disturbed. "Untie my
legs," he was saying to I don't know whom, and he was visibly
distressed. My mother and my daughter decided to stay overnight at the
hospital, which they didn't normally do. I drifted off to sleep and so
did Mum.

I raced over to the bed and Dad was moaning. "Please, please," he
was saying, "I beg you, let me loose, please let me loose." His tone
was humble and terrified, and his eyes were lowered. He was to say
these words many, many times over the next six hours. He was trying to
jump off the bed and hide under his pillow. You have to understand
that he was skin and bones. He couldn't even urinate without help, and
here he was suddenly trying to get up and run off.

He was thrashing around like a mad man. This is really
inauspicious, I thought. I grabbed him by the shoulders. "Dad," I
said, "what's happening? You okay?"

He was terrified. "Oh Sue," he cried out, "I tried to get away, I
really did, but they got me." His voice went up to a shout. "She's got
me!" he yelled out.

At that time I should have realized what was happening, but the
fact that he said, "She's got me" put me off, and somehow I got
covered over, and for the next six hours I just tried to comfort
him.

He cried out again and again. "Oh, for God's sake," he would shout,
"just let me rest, just ten minutes. Please, I beg you." His tone of
voice was terrified and all the while humble and begging. I would
chant and he would relax a little. Then a nurse would come and
distract me, and he would start again, thrashing and begging.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

He seemed exasperated. "I'm trying to tell you," he said, "but I
just can't."

Then at 3 am it suddenly dawned on me that the Yamadutas had him.
It was so obvious, and I felt so foolish for not realizing it until
now. I turned to my 13-year-old daughter and told her I thought the
Yamadutas had him.

"Yes," she said. "I know. I woke you up because I saw three of them
floating above his bed, and he was cowering and looking up."

She had actually seen them. She described later how they looked,
with boar-like tusks coming upward out of their mouths and glaring
eyes. She had thought they were some kind of ghosts trying to steal
his soul from his body. Of course, by Krishna's arrangement, my mother
was sleeping, oblivious the whole time.

What to do? I thought. I started to pray to Krishna: "Oh, please
let him go, Krishna." I was begging.

Then Supersoul would answer. "Why?" He would say. "He will only
offend again."

Then I was really upset. I started praying to Yamaraja" "Please,
Yamaraja..." And all the while, I was chanting. I told Dad I was sorry
I hadn't realized sooner that they had hold of him. He nodded,
traumatized. His whole death experience was hellish. I'm sorry that
any souls have to experience such a thing and understand now why Srila
Prabhupad felt such urgency to save everyone.

"Dad," I said, "do you want me to hold you and chant?" "Yes, yes,"
he said. "Have they still got you?" "No, they let me go."

Then I held him tight for the next three hours, and he slowly gave
up his life, through his mouth, peacefully with me chanting right in
his ear and dripping Ganga and Yamuna water into his mouth. I stayed
fully focused on chanting very close to his ear until he breathed his
last, at 6 am. He went straight out of his mouth and his eyes just
closed.

Poor him! Cruel, cruel, hellish material world! It had been only
seven months from the start of his illness, and the seventy-one-year
story of his life was forcibly ended.

While he would be thrashing and crying out "Let me loose!" I'd ask
the nurses what was happening.

"Oh, it's normal," they'd say. "He's just fighting it, and it
happens to everyone. There's even a term for it. It's called
terminal restlessness. And they give nurses' seminars about how to
deal with it."

Well I've got news for you, folks. It's actually terminal
Yamadutaness. Of course they are advised to just pump them full of
morphine and ignore all their ramblings.

Another thing is that no one is meant to know about it. It was
purely Krishna's mercy that we were able to realize it, and even then
I almost missed it. For six hours I was confused and yet Dad was
telling me quite clearly and begging for help, so some sort of maya is
covering the whole thing and people aren't aware of it. Only the
person who is going through it knows.

Mention is made of the dogs. A devotee told me afterwards that they
were reading Yamaraja scriptures, which give detailed descriptions,
and it is said that the hounds of hell come ahead several days before
and sniff out where the rascals are dying.

There was also the fact that he said, "She's got me." Apparently
the Yamadutas have their own society with wives, kids and everything.
Since they are also living entities in this material world, they are
born into that society.

I don't usually put pen to paper, as I don't feel at all qualified
to do so, but mother Radha Kunda Devi Dasi encouraged me and said that
this experience should be shared with all the devotees. So please
excuse my shortcomings. I am not very philosophical or academic. Here
are some of Srila Prabhupada's comments on the subject:

"To see the Yamadutas, or the carriers of order of Yamaraja,
superintendent of death, to see face to face... At the time of death,
when one very sinful man is dying, he sees the Yamaraja or the order
carriers of Yamaraja. They are very fierce looking. Sometimes the man
on the deathbed becomes very much fearful, cries, 'Save me, save me.'"
Srimad Bhagavatam lecture, Denver, July 2, 1975

"But you take this mission and go everywhere, in every corner. I am
thankful to you. You are already doing that, in Europe and America,
[people are] deep asleep. Because people are sleeping under
misguidance, and they are becoming candidate for being carried away by
the Yamaduta. This is the position of the whole world, Yamaduta.
Yamaduta will not excuse you, however you may be very proud of
becoming independent. This is not possible. To save the human
civilization, the rascal civilization, that 'There is no life after
death, and you go on enjoying as much as you like,' this wrong
civilization is [a] killing civilization. So you save them. You save
them. Otherwise the Yamaduta is there." Vrindavan, September 5,
1975

"This man was like this, and he must be carried to Yamaraja for
punishment..." Why punishment? No, to make him purified, it is said,
'Punishment required.' This is nature's law. Just like if you have
infected some disease, the punishment is you must suffer for it. The
punishment is good. If you have infected some disease, and when you
suffer, that means you become purified from the disease. Suffering is
not bad, to become purified. Therefore when a devotee suffers, he does
not take it ill. He thinks that, 'I am being purified. I am being
purified.'" Vrindavan, September 5, 1975

So I suppose that even though Dad had Tulasi beads on, he was a
good man by ordinary standards, but he liked to hunt, and he had been
a drinker, womanizer, and cow eater. And even though he had had all
facilities for the last 28 years, he didn't surrender to Krishna. Even
at the time of death, he didn't seem able to think of Krishna as the
solution to his woes.

Srila Prabhupad sums it up in the purport to Srimad Bhagavatam
6.2.49: "At the time of death one is certainly bewildered because his
bodily functions are in disorder. At that time, even one who
throughout his life has practiced chanting the holy name of the Lord
may not be able to chant the Hare Krsna mantra very distinctly.
Nevertheless, such a person receives all the benefits of chanting the
holy name. While the body is fit therefore, why should we not chant
the holy name of the Lord loudly and distinctly? If one does so, it is
quite possible that even at the time of death he will be properly able
to chant the holy name of the Lord with love and faith."

Purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 6.2.15:
"Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that
state he will attain without fail. If one practices chanting the Hare
Krsna mantra, he is naturally expected to chant Hare Krsna when he
meets with some accident. Even without such practice, however, if one
somehow or other chants the holy name of the Lord (Hare Krsna) when he
meets with an accident and dies, he will be saved from hellish life
after death. One is immediately absolved from having to enter hellish
life, even though he is sinful."

In the purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 6.2.7:
"The Yamadutas had considered only the external situation of Ajamila.
Since he was extremely sinful throughout his life, they thought he
should be taken to Yamaraja and did not know that he had become free
from the reactions of all his sins. The Visnudutas therefore
instructed that because he had chanted the four syllables of the name
Narayana at the time of his death, he was freed from all sinful
reactions."

In the same purport, Srila Prabhupada quotes the following
verses: "Simply by chanting one holy name of Hari, a sinful man
can counteract the reactions to more sins than he is able to commit."
Brhad-Visnu Purana

"If one chants the holy name of the Lord, even in a helpless
condition or without desiring to do so, all the reactions of his
sinful life depart, just as when a lion roars, all the small animals
flee in fear." Garuda Purana

"By once chanting the holy name of the Lord, which consists of the
two syllables ha-ri, one guarantees his path to liberation." Skanda
Purana

I can only hope and pray that somehow my father had a small thought
of Krishna because of my feeble efforts and the causeless mercy of
Guru and Gauranga.

Anyway, I would like the feedback of all the devotees. Do others
have similar experiences to tell? What do you all think about this
topic?

Please all of you Vaishnavas pray for my father that he may have an
opportunity to serve Krishna. I was thinking myself to be the big
hero, going to save my father, only to find that I'm just a big bag of
hot air zero. I am such a fallen rascal that I couldn't help him in
his hour of need, and I hope this story helps others to advance their
efforts in Krishna consciousness so that we can all help Srila
Prabhupada in his mission to relieve all the sufferings of the fallen
conditioned souls.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada, savior of the whole world!

Your fallen servant, Subhangi Devi Dasi
subhangidevidasi@yahoo.com

Original source:
http://www.dipika.org/2004/05/10/10_terminal_restlessness/